Former college classmates trade command at Fort Bragg

Friday

Three decades ago, two teenagers met at the Citadel, a military college in South Carolina.

On Friday, the two men — now two-star generals — stood together outside the headquarters of the 1st Special Forces Command on Fort Bragg.

Maj. Gen. Francis M. Beaudette relinquished command of the 1st SFC to Maj. Gen. E. John Deedrick Jr. in a traditional military ceremony.

Gen. Raymond “Tony” Thomas, the commanding general of U.S. Special Operations Command, promoted Deedrick from brigadier general at the start of the ceremony. He said the two men shared more than a past.

“This change of command today is about a change of leadership but really, like every change of command, it’s about a continuity of purpose and focus,” Thomas said.

Deedrick, who was most recently assistant commanding general at Joint Special Operations Command, is now at the helm of an organization that includes 23,000 soldiers spread across seven Special Forces Groups, two psychological operations groups, a civil affairs brigade and a sustainment brigade.

The command was formed in 2014 to combine the nation’s regionally oriented special operations forces within a single headquarters that is able to deploy to support operations around the world. Its soldiers are involved, in some way, with every special operations mission around the globe, Thomas said.

“In the short history of this organization, you guys have had a historic impact,” he said.

The change of command was hosted by Lt. Gen. Kenneth E. Tovo, commanding general of U.S. Army Special Operations Command. He said the 1st SFC has balanced current operations with its force provider responsibilities and has maintained a consistent operational tempo while preparing for crises around the globe and overseeing training.

The command has consistently had approximately 3,000 troops deployed in about 70 countries, often in uncertain or hostile operating environments, Tovo said.

In those conditions, the general said, Beaudette has done a phenomenal job as commanding general, driving the organization to a new standard in readiness and broadening training to prepare for a wider range of threats and increase the survivability of soldiers.

At the same time, Tovo said, Beaudette, who had been commanding general of 1st SFC since July, has restored balance to the force, allowing soldiers more time to reconnect with their families between deployments.

Now, the general expects a seamless transition.

“John is the perfect choice to lead this command today,” Tovo said.

Beaudette agreed.

Next month, he will replace Tovo as commanding general of Army Special Operations Command, the 1st SFC’s higher headquarters.

On Friday, Beaudette said the command would improve under Deedrick’s leadership.

“There is no better officer or leader to continue to serve this exceptional organization,” he said.

Beaudette spoke briefly of the pair’s past, noting that they met as young men before their military careers officially began.

Beaudette was commissioned from the Citadel in 1989. Deedrick was commissioned from the Citadel a year earlier.

After college, Beaudette became an armor officer in Germany while Deedrick joined the 82nd Airborne Division. Each was deployed in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

And both men graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course at Fort Bragg in 1995.

Since then, Beaudette has served with the 3rd Special Forces Group, U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, 10th Special Forces Group, 1st Special Forces Group, 1st Armored Division and Joint Special Operations Command, among other units.

Deedrick has served with the 1st Special Forces Group, 10th Special Forces Group, Special Operations Command – Korea, Special Operations Command – Pacific and Joint Special Operations Command, among other units.

Both have numerous deployments to the Middle East and Asia.

Beaudette said he leaves 1st SFC with a renewed appreciation for its troops and their families. He said the men and women of the command have had numerous operational successes around the world, but often work in the shadows.

“No tasks have been easy,” Beaudette said. “None of it close to home or without risk or in some cases, extreme danger.”

But the end result has been a lasting impact for the benefit of others, he said.

The 1st SFC has critical skills that the nation requires and that only its soldiers can perform.

He thanked the soldiers for those efforts and honored the seven soldiers killed in action over the past year.

“Their loss is not in vain,” Beaudette said. “They will forever be honored, and they will never be forgotten.”

Deedrick praised his predecessor.

“This change of command here is really more about continuity than change,” he said. “Fran has charted the correct course for the command and I look forward to continuing that course.”

Deedrick said the ceremony felt like a homecoming. He served as deputy commanding general of the 1st SFC from 2016 to 2017.

He said the command has three unique capabilities — Special Forces, psychological operations and civil affairs — that are unified and underpinned by the support, logistics and intelligence provided by others in the command.

He said his job, as is the job with every leader, is to serve those men and women on the front lines and care for the warfighter. And he renewed the command’s pledge to do that.

“I am very glad to be back,” he said. “It really does feel like coming home.”

Military editor Drew Brooks can be reached at dbrooks@fayobserver.com or 486-3567.

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